An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Gast

by Friedrich Kluge

Gast, m., ‘guest, visitor; wight; sailor,’ from MidHG. and OHG. gast (plur. gęste, gęsti), m., ‘stranger, guest’; common, in the same sense, to Teut.; comp. Goth. gasts (plur. gasteis), m. (comp. gastigôds, ‘hospitable’), OIc. gestr, ‘guest (uninvited),’ AS. gyst, giest, m., E. guest, Du. and OSax. gast. Teut. gastiz, m., ‘stranger, unbidden or chance guest from some foreign part,’ from pre-Teut. ghostis, which left derivatives in Lat. and Slav.; Lat. hostis, ‘enemy,’ prop. ‘foreigner, stranger,’ OSlov. qostĭ, m., ‘guest'; with Lat. hostis, ‘foreigner,’ hospes (prop. *hosti-potis, ‘host’?), might also be connected. It is more than questionable whether West Aryan ghosti-s, ‘stranger,’ is prop. ‘eater, devourer,’ and belongs to the Sans. root ghas, ‘to eat.’ It is worthy of notice in how many ways Teutons and Romans have transformed the idea underlying the old inherited word for ‘stranger'; the Roman regards him as an enemy, among the Teutons he enjoys the greatest privileges — a fine confirmation of Tacitus' account in the Germania. This evolution of meaning would be still more remarkable if the view were correct that Lat. hostis, ‘stranger,’ is related to Lat. hostia, ‘victim’ (stranger = ‘one to be sacrificed’?); this collocation is alluring, but very uncertain.